Report by Peter Tonge

VICS started the match quickly and could have been three up in the first 20 minutes or so.

Keiron Kenny headed just wide in the first minute from a floated free kick in from the left while Darrhyl Mason just failed to get to the ball before the keeper after being played in.

Six minutes in and Louis Potts played in Saul Henderson, who did superbly well to play the ball across the box but no Vics player could get on the end of it.

Vics were pressing high and never allowed Winsford time to settle. They had a great chance to take the lead in the ninth minute as a great move led Joe Camozzi to slip the ball across to Potts but he fired over when it looked easier to score.

Vics finally got the goal they deserved on 12 minutes when Matty Birchall ran onto a pass down the left channel from Mason, cut in past a defender and fired a lovely curling shot into the top of the net – another great goal to add to the Goal of the Season contest!

Two minutes later, Vics should have gained a penalty when Birchall won the ball off a dallying Langley in the Winsford net, who then pulled him to the ground as he tried to get the ball back but the ref saw it otherwise.

The match now started to settle down after Vics’ early dominance and the game became punctuated by free-kicks.

Winsford were having more of the ball now but apart from a couple of shots from distance, one of which went just wide, they never threatened Mike Hale in the Vics net.

Indeed, the visitors nearly had a second goal just before half time but Mason’s final touch was poor when he was in the open five yards out and Langley collected the ball.

The second half saw Winsford having most of the play without having a serious shot on target for the most part as Vics relied on the odd quick breakaway, with Mason and Birchill always looking dangerous.

Mason was nearly played in by the hard-working Potts, but his ball was just cut out by the Winsford defence to deny him an one-on-one with the keeper.

The game was fairly scrappy now with very little goalmouth action but a long ball down the right of the Vic' box in the 80th minute saw Hopley get to the ball before Hale and he did well to keep the ball in play and cross the ball to Jesse Dowling, who swept the ball into the top of the net.

However, this setback didn't deflate Vics and they retook the lead just a minute later as Henderson forced the keeper to palm the ball away from the edge of the area where Darrhyl Mason picked it up, turned and beautifully dinked the ball over the keeper into the net.

Vics kept pressing now and were back in control. Birchall went close with a header from an Oscar Durnin corner and they easily saw the game out to claim the three points and their fourth consecutive win.